Free Hard Ride to Wichita by Ralph Compton, Marcus Galloway Page A

were already dead. Me and Ma anyhow. There’s no reason to watch your tongue around dead folks.”
    Red nodded and immediately stopped himself so as not to inadvertently pour salt into the fresh wound.
    â€œThey talked about someone moving to a place outside Wichita,” Luke continued. “Struck me as someone important. Name of Granger.”
    â€œGranger?” After thinking it over for a second, Red asked, “Granger who?”
    Luke shrugged. “I don’t know. At least . . . not yet.”
    Red studied his friend for a short while as his own wheels started to turn. Glancing back at the horse, which was loaded and ready to make a long ride, he looked at the valise, which was stuffed with more than enough cash to get Luke just about anywhere he wanted to go. His eyes dropped down to Luke’s waist, which was mostly obscured by the jacket he wore. Red grabbed the jacket and pulled it open to reveal the double-rig holster that had come into town strapped around Scott’s waist.
    â€œNo!” Red snapped.
    â€œWhat do you mean, no?”
    â€œYou heard me! No, you’re not going to Wichita!”
    â€œYou can’t tell me what to do,” Luke said.
    â€œWhat would you do once you get there? Just walk around and start asking for any outlaws by the name of Granger?”
    Luke hooked his thumbs over the gun belt. “I’ll think of something.”
    â€œNo, you won’t. There’s nothing you can think of that will make that a good idea.”
    â€œWhat would you have me do, Red? Just stand back and let everything keep rolling on as if nothing ever happened?”
    â€œI’ve known your mother for years! She always treated me like one of her own. It tears me up to know what happened to her! But it just happened.”
    â€œYou weren’t there,” Luke said in a low tone that rumbled up from the bottom of his soul. “You barely even know what happened.”
    â€œMaybe not, but that stranger is the one who killed your ma and Kyle. He’s dead now and you killed him. Your ma wouldn’t want—”
    â€œShe doesn’t want anything anymore,” Luke cut in. “She’s gone. I’m all that’s left and I don’t intend to stay in this town to let the rest of my years slip away.”
    â€œBefore you do anything, just give yourself some time to think it through.”
    Luke let out a tired laugh. “Something’s definitely not right if you’re the one telling me to be patient. You’re the most hotheaded person I ever met.”
    â€œExactly! So if I’m saying this to you, it must be true.”
    Although Luke wasn’t completely appeased by that, he did seem to cool off a bit.
    â€œGive it a little time,” Red pleaded. “All this is still fresh. My head is still spinning from hearing about everything, so I can barely imagine what’s going on inside yours. Just rest up and come at it once the smoke has cleared.” Seeing that he was making some ground with his friend, Red added, “It’s not like you can take off to Wichita in the middle of the night anyway.”
    â€œI could use some sleep,” Luke admitted.
    â€œThat’s right.”
    â€œBut I don’t want to sleep in that house.”
    â€œNobody would expect you to. Come on home with me. We’ll scrounge up something to eat and you can come up with something to say to my daddy when he smells the whiskey on our breath.”
    Luke’s tired grin returned. “I’m the one that’s been through hell, so I’ve got a good excuse. You’re the one that’ll be in trouble for drinking liquor.”
    â€œYou got that right.”
    â€œI can sit and stew all I want, but that won’t change a thing. Fact is, I’ve got the rest of my life to miss my ma and I’m sure I’ll be doing plenty of that throughout the years. I can tell you right now I won’t